Relief coordination centre established in Barisal

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FE Report
The caretaker government has set up a coordination centre in Barisal to effectively carry out its emergency relief and rehabilitation activities in all the cyclone-hit coastal districts.
The coordination centre will monitor and supervise the government's overall relief activities in the affected districts in coordination with senior defense officials and deputy commissioners (DCs) under the direct supervision of Communication Adviser M A Matin, who will be staying at the divisional headquarters of Barisal.
The decision to set up such a focal point was taken at a special meeting of the council of advisers Saturday in order to making the government's ongoing relief works more effective and better coordinated.
Presided over by the Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, the meeting also reviewed the post-disaster situation and discussed ways to improve the government's relief operations, the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Monaim told a press briefing.
The meeting of advisers' council laid emphasis on ensuring distribution of food, drinking water, clothes for the cyclone victims and arranging shelters on an urgent basis.
It, however, discussed other short, medium and long-term programmes to be taken for the rehabilitation of the Sidr-hit people, and also the affected agriculture sector.
The meeting was told that the government had intensified the distribution of emergency relief goods among the affected people.
Besides, cash ranging between Tk 5,000 and Tk 10,000 will be provided to each of the cyclone hit families for rebuilding their damaged houses.
Taking the prevailing scarcity of drinking water into consideration, the council of advisers asked the authorities concerned to install 'specific' water treatment plants in the affected areas, Fahim said.
The meeting was informed that decision had already been taken to install tube-wells to ensure the supply of safe drinking water in different Sidr-hit areas.
Three water treatment units have already been deployed in the affected areas while at least three more treatment plants belonging to the US assault ship that arrived Chittagong Thursday, will be pressed into service soon.
Currently, some 690 medical teams are providing healthcare services in the affected districts, he said, adding more such teams comprising senior medical students will be sent there shortly, he mentioned.
Emphasising the need for making cyclone warning systems more effective and time-bound, the meeting discussed the possibility of introducing community radio in the country's coastal regions.
The advisers viewed that credit supports could be provided to both farmers and fishermen for their rehabilitation.
The council of advisers, however, also discussed ways of giving loans to the affected small businessmen to help them earn their livelihood.
The meeting was also informed that the process is under way to shift funds worth Tk 900 million from the revenue budget to the non-revenue one for repairing the educational institutions in the Sidr-hit areas.
It was also informed at the meeting that apart from the current emergency relief operations, a special VGF programme will start in 12 coastal districts from December 1, under which each of the 2.59 million beneficiaries will be receiving 15 kgs of rice per month until March 2008.